Sunderland v Norwich: expect grit not goals at Stadium of Light
Published:Sunderland may the 21/10 favourites for their Sunday clash against Norwich but there is little evidence to suggest the Black Cats will pick up an invaluable three points.
Martin O’Neill’s side are no longer in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle – they are in one.
The North East side have not won a game since January and were humbled 3-1 by Premier League bottom side Queens Park Rangers in their last outing.
They have the worst record in the entire league over their previous six games (four defeats and two draws) and face a Norwich side who they lost 2-1 to earlier in the season.
The Canaries have also been struggling in recent weeks though and are just three points ahead of their hosts after failing to pick up the wins that would end the threat of relegation once and for all.
They’ve drawn four of their last six and, while they shouldn’t be discounted at 13/5 to get a win at the Stadium of Light, a far better punt would be to back the draw.
It’s currently 12/5 that the scores are level at the final whistle and, with two out of form teams taking the field, that looks a price well worth taking on.
Meanwhile, another bet that looks worth serious consideration is the 7/10 offered for under 2.5 goals.
Norwich have failed to score in four of their previous five outings, while Sunderland’s home attack is the fourth worst in the entire division, with the Black Cats averaging just 1.14 goals on home soil.
A combined punt of a draw with under 2.5 goals scored is also available at a pretty decent 27/10.
